Miller's Spirit at Lionsgate

The distribution rights to the forthcoming film version of Will Eisner's The Spirit graphic novels, to be written and directed by Frank Miller (300, Sin City), have been picked up by Lionsgate.

"Will Eisner's The Spirit is a product of passion and dedication for me. Will was a dear friend, a mentor, and translating his vision to the screen will be a labor of love. I look forward to working with the people at Lionsgate, and to add to their lauded reputation for genre films," Miller said.

This morning's announcement also included the first official plot synopsis of the film:

Adapated from the legendary Will Eisner's graphic novels, The Spirit tells the visceral, action-packed story of a man who fakes his own death and fights crime from the shadows of Central City. The Octopus -- who kills anyone unfortunate enough to see his face -- has a different mission: he's going to wipe out the entire city. The Spirit tracks this cold-hearted killer from Central City's rundown warehouses, to the damp catacombs, to the windswept waterfront ... all the while facing a bevy of beautiful women who either want to seduce, love or kill our masked crusader. In the vein of Batman Begins and Sin City, The Spirit takes us on a sinister, gut-wrenching ride of a hero who is born, murdered and born again.

The deal struck between Lionsgate and Spirit production company Odd Lot Entertainment is actually part of a new over-arching pact between the studios. It is a multi-picture co-financing, co-production and split rights arrangement, with The Spirit being the first film in the pipeline.